Why is everyone so obsessed with going to Mars? Here are some other worlds ripe for exploration
Last month, China successfully landed and deployed the Zhurong rover on Mars, becoming the second country ever to set wheels on the surface of the red planet......»»
NASA green-lights mission to send car-sized drone to Saturn moon
NASA’s Mars helicopter mission is now officially over, but following it is an even more complex flying machine destined to explore Saturn’s largest moon......»»
Final communications sent to the beloved Ingenuity Mars helicopter
NASA's hugely successful Mars helicopter Ingenuity will continue saving data in case future explorers should come this way again......»»
NASA needs a new approach for its challenging Mars Sample Return mission
NASA is seeking new ideas for its Mars Sample Return mission after admitting that its previous plan to bring samples from Mars back to Earth was too ambitious......»»
AI has the power to revolutionize lending, but at a cost to people with lower credit scores
As artificial intelligence (AI) steadily increases its hold on the global economy, one of many areas ripe for disruption is consumer pricing. In situations where different consumers are offered the same product or service at different prices, it is n.....»»
A clinical decision support system for Earth-independent medical operations
Deep space exploration requires a paradigm shift in astronaut medical support toward Earth-independent medical operations. Currently, astronauts rely on real-time communication with ground-based medical providers. However, as the distance from Earth.....»»
NASA"s Ingenuity Mars helicopter team says goodbye—for now
The final downlink shift by the Ingenuity team was a time to reflect on a highly successful mission—and to prepare the first aircraft on another world for its new role......»»
NASA"s VIPER moon rover gets its head and neck
In this image from Feb. 12, 2024, engineers lift a mast into place on NASA's VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) robotic moon rover. VIPER's mast and the suite of instruments affixed to it look a lot like the rover's "neck" and "h.....»»
NASA says it needs better ideas on how to return samples from Mars
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is losing its grip on managing NASA's next flagship mission. Enlarge / NASA's existing plan for Mars Sample Return involves a large lander the size of a two-car garage, two helicopters, a two-stage b.....»»
NASA is seeking a faster, cheaper way to bring Mars samples to Earth
NASA's plan to bring samples from Mars back to Earth is on hold until there's a faster, cheaper way, space agency officials said Monday......»»
Supporting the future of Mars exploration with supercomputers
You may have flown a flight simulator in a computer game or at a science museum. Landing without crashing is always the hardest part. But that's nothing compared to the challenge that engineers are facing to develop a flight simulation of the very la.....»»
National Boyfriend Day is an excuse to spoil your partner. When is it?
What is National Boyfriend Day? It's a reason to celebrate! But also, when is National Boyfriend Day? Valentine's Day just isn't enough. When you're in love, you'll take any excuse you can to show your significant other that you're obsessed wit.....»»
NASA discovered bacteria that wouldn"t die. Now it"s boosting sunscreen.
While disinfecting spacecraft headed for Mars, NASA found a stubborn type of bacteria that was tough to clean but great at withstanding UV radiation. Many people associate NASA with exploring new worlds in space, but few know it's also finding.....»»
Wireless power transmission could enable exploration of the far side of the moon
How can future lunar exploration communicate from the far side of the moon despite never being inline with the Earth? This is what a recent study submitted to IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems hopes to address as a pair of researc.....»»
NASA technology helps guard against lunar dust
Defeating dust may be a small concern for most people on Earth, but for astronauts and spacecraft destined for the moon or Mars, it is a significant hazard that must be mitigated. That's why researchers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are s.....»»
In exchange for a lunar rover, Japan will get seats on Moon-landing missions
Japan is making a significant commitment to the US-led Artemis program. Enlarge / Artist's illustration of a pressurized lunar rover design conceived by Toyota and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. (credit: Toyota/JAXA).....»»
The limits of ice: What a 19th-century expedition trapped in sea ice for a year tells us about Antarctica"s future
In 1897, the former whaling ship RV Belgica left Antwerp in Belgium and set sail due south. It was the first voyage of what would become known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. It did not go to plan......»»
Elon Musk’s Latest Mars Pitch Has Potential
SpaceX has made significant progress toward what once seemed an unattainable goal......»»
Measuring the atmospheres of other worlds to see if there are enough nutrients for life
Life on Earth depends on six critical elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur. These elements are referred to as CHNOPS, and along with several trace micronutrients and liquid water, they're what life needs......»»
Elon Musk just gave another Mars speech—this time the vision seems tangible
"These are unthinkable numbers, but we’re not breaking any physics to achieve this." Enlarge / SpaceX will continue to iterate on Starship. (credit: SpaceX) Elon Musk has been talking publicly about his sweeping vision.....»»
Mapping lava tubes on the moon and Mars from space
Sometimes, all you need for a new discovery is some creative math. That was the case for a new paper by Edward Williams and Laurent Montési of the University of Maryland's Department of Geology. They released a brief paper at the Lunar and Planetary.....»»